The arrival of 5G will usher in a new era of high-bandwidth/low-latency applications, break open enterprise markets to mobile service providers, dramatically reduce network costs, make driving exams obsolete and create lasting world peace. That is, if you believe half of the things that you read about it.

The reality is that 5G has a good shot at doing some of those things, because it’s already doing them today. In a new e-book from Light Reading, “The Critical Role of Next Gen Core Solutions,” you can read how leading providers such as AT&T, Verizon and Turkcell are using 5G technology to deliver better customer experiences with much better cost and service delivery efficiencies. And because it’s from the folks at Light Reading, you know it will be a good read packed with the kind of insights you would expect from people who can separate the hope of the future from the hype of today.

At the core of this 5G future is, fittingly, the mobile core. While RAN upgrades are important, Light Reading’s Ray Le Maistre shines the spotlight where it belongs in the opening pages by stating “the full potential of 5G can only be realized once the core network is also upgraded.” Telco executives agree. In a separate survey conducted by Heavy Reading, seventy-four percent of surveyed executives felt that a 5G core was necessary to obtain the full benefits of 5G. That number underscores the fact that most telcos are thinking of 5G for more than cheap bandwidth; they have their eye on enterprise services that will require network slicing, agile service creation and other “core” capabilities.

If you really want to know what the early future of 5G will look like, take a look at Turkcell and AT&T: two companies with an early lead in the race to 5G. You’ll find case studies of both service providers in Light Reading’s e-book, showcasing how NFV and cloud services are helping these virtualization visionaries capitalize on new market opportunities. Interviews with Affirmed’s CEO, Hassan Ahmed, and senior director of product management, Seshadri Sathyanarayan, provide additional insight into where 5G core capabilities are headed.

Sponsored by Affirmed and Intel, “The Critical Role of Next Gen Core Solutions,” is a short (20-minute), informative read that highlights the early success of 5G core implementations and reveals why so many major telco operators are betting their future on it. If you’re sick of reading fictional accounts of the 5G-driven future, Light Reading’s non-fiction e-book is the perfect antidote.